The Denver Classroom Teachers Association, which represents most of Denver's 5,000-plus teachers, said it doesn't want to strike -- but said the school district hasn't met their demands.

"We're hoping for a quick solution to this whole thing," DCTA lead negotiator Rob Gould said Monday. "We're hoping (school district officials) come to the table tomorrow ready to listen so we can get back to work. Because our teachers want to be in the classrooms with their kids."

Denver Public Schools said it's listened to teachers' concerns and made a series of offers to the union -- all of which have been rejected.

"I am extremely disappointed that the DCTA walked away from the table," Superintendent Susana Cordova said after talks broke down Saturday night. "We presented an updated proposal that responds to what we heard from our teachers ... and significantly increases the base pay for all of our educators."

She said both sides will be back at the negotiating table Tuesday.

"It's a problem for our kids not to have their teachers in class," she said. "So I want to get this done now."

What both sides have put up

Denver Public Schools says it's offered:

-- $23 million in new funds next year for teachers' base salaries. (That would increase the average teacher's salary from about $55,000 to $61,000 next year.)

-- Another $2 million investment in base pay for teachers and specialized staff members that would "come from additional, painful cuts to our central departments, which we estimate to be an elimination of about 150 positions in the central office."

-- The elimination of performance bonuses for central office senior staff. "We would invest those funds directly in our highest-needs schools, with a proposed increase in incentive pay for teaching in our schools with the highest poverty rates," the school district said. "Our offer increases that incentive from $2,500 to $3,000."

DPS illustrated how its concessions to the union -- more than $20 million since last June -- is significantly more than the union's decrease in demands.

But the union said it's still waiting for "a fair, competitive and transparent salary schedule that prioritizes base salary over complicated, unreliable bonuses."

"We are incredibly disappointed that on the last day of bargaining and less than two days before a strike, they doubled down on one-time incentives teachers do not want, and the data shows do not work to keep teachers in their schools," DCTA President and teacher Henry Roman said.

What students will do without their teachers

Despite the strike, DPS encouraged students to go to school this week. All schools except preschools are still running on normal schedules.

But 2,631 teachers did not go to school Monday, DPS spokeswoman Anna Alejo said. That's about 56% of teachers from district-run schools.

In other words, about half of DPS' 92,000 students have no idea when they'll see their teachers back in class again.

To make up for those 2,631 missing teachers, about 1,400 central office staffers and 400 substitute teachers covered teacher absences Monday, Alejo said.

But Xavion said substitutes can't teach like his normal teachers.

"I don't feel like I'm learning anything. It's not the same," the teen said. "With our teachers, I feel like we're in a better learning environment. Not with any sub."

Some teachers are too broke to strike

Since teachers aren't getting paid while on strike, not every teacher who wants to strike can do so.

"I really, really want to because I do support the mission ... but I literally financially cannot afford to," said math teacher Sophia Leung. "For me to lose out on $200 of pay a day, it does impact my bills for the month."